Following its theatrical and digital releases, Empire of Light is now available for audiences to bring home on Blu-ray and DVD. My review ran shortly after the Canadian premiere during TIFF. There’s no denying that the film is the cinematography from Roger Deakins is beautiful. This is one of a number of films about the power of cinema in 2022. As for the rest of the film, not everyone will agree. To each their own.…
"Empire of Light Arrives on Blu-ray, DVD"Tag: Olivia Colman
Drawing inspiration from a classic Sergio Leone film, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the long-awaited sequel to the 2011 Shrek spin-off. Audiences had a chance to catch a sneak preview over Thanksgiving weekend. Similarly, Critics Choice Association members had the opportunity to do the same by way of digital screener. I never got around to watching the first film but I caught both in a double feature on Thanksgiving Eve. This one is…
"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Gets A Bit Dark" There’s no denying that Empire of Light is a beautifully shot film but there’s something about the Sam Mendes picture that feels off. I’m gonna be honest here in that this is the film in which I had to fight to stay awake. When one is running on little-to-no sleep, films need to be engaging to keep one’s attention. Factor in Sam Mendes at the helm and Olivia Colman in a leading role, this film…
"Empire of Light – Toronto 2022"
Maggie Gyllenhaal steps behind the camera and hits a home run in her feature directorial debut, an adaptation of The Lost Daughter. When it comes to actors stepping behind the camera to direct, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be a good film. Maggie Gyllenhaal has nothing to worry about with her feature directorial debut, which brings the mysterious Elena Ferrante’s novel to the screen. She hits it out of the ballpark! It certainly helps having…
"The Lost Daughter: Maggie Hits A Home Run"
Even though they unloaded the film onto Netflix, Sony Pictures Animation’s The Mitchells vs. The Machines hits Blu-ray with bonus content. Because Sony retained the home entertainment rights, film fans are all the better. It’s not often that a Netflix film gets a stacked home entertainment release. And yet, this film also comes with all NEW material including a short film. There’s also an extended cut including 40 minutes of deleted scenes. Trust me, you’re…
"The Mitchells vs. The Machines Arrives On Blu-ray"
A seventh grade middle school student and a B*Bot become strange pals in Locksmith Animation’s new film, Ron’s Gone Wrong. As Barney Pudowski (Jack Dylan Grazer) returns to Nonsuch Middle School for the new school year, he lacks what everyone else has: a B*Bot. He’s not the most popular kid in school and not owning a B*Bot makes him the outcast of the crowd. His dad, Graham (Ed Helms) knows how much he wants one…
"Ron’s Gone Wrong A Film About Friendship" Think of The Mitchells vs. The Machines as Her meets The Terminator in this all new star-studded comedy launching on Netflix. The Mitchells are an ordinary family doing ordinary things. They’re certainly like any other family. And yet, they’re going to find themselves having to save the world during the robot apocalypse (Ted Moseby voice: Kids, nobody ever learned anything while watching The Terminator). Anybody with a love of film will also find themselves resonating…
"The Mitchells vs. The Machines is Awesome"
Sir Anthony Hopkins delivers yet another top-notch performance as an aging father with dementia in The Father, which is emotionally moving. When the film premiered during Sundance earlier this year, Hopkins was in the closing weeks of the Oscar race for The Two Popes. While he may have lost out, he’s back in the running and is almost certainly the front-runner. It’s not unlike Hopkins to deliver a masterclass performance and here is on display…
"AFI FEST 2020: The Father"
From the outside looking in, the religious community that is depicted in Them That Follow could otherwise be understood to be a cult. Mara (Alice Englert) and Dilly (Kaitlyn Dever) are friends. They live in a snake-handling Pentecostal community run by Mara’s dad, the fiery Pastor Lemuel (Walter Goggins). Every now and then, they go to the local convenient store where Hope (Olivia Colman) works. Much against her dad’s dismay, Mara has an interest in…
"Sundance 2019: Them That Follow"
The Favourite is the wittiest film to date from director Yorgos Lanthimos and is brought to life largely by three strong women. The newest film from Yorgos Lanthimos takes place in the early 1700s. Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) holds the English throne at this time. She’s calling the shots while England and France are at war. The war being the War of Spanish Succession–which doesn’t end until 1714. While it’s safe to say that this film is a…
"The Favourite: Yorgos Lanthimos’s Best To Date"